Former Mafia boss Carmelo Musumeci has written a letter, published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, in which he asks Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to convert his life-in-prison sentence into the death penalty. Musumeci wrote: “I die a little bit each day. Honestly, I’d rather die immediately.”
After a long career in the mafia, he has been in prison for 17 years now. In prison, he finished (his) high school, and got a law degree. However, he writes, “light has become shadow.”
310 other prisoners co-signed the letter.
There is one problem: Italy abolished the death penalty after World War II. The prisoners would like the President to reinstate it (for them).
President Napolitano did not want to take this decision and has forwarded the request to the government and Parliament. Chances that Musumeci’s request will be honored are slim.
It goes to show how horrible, how hopeless life in prison can be. Of course, life in prison is not meant to be entertaining and uplifting, I am not saying anything to support these people, but too often people make it look like life in prison is fun.
It’s not.
Life in prison is horrendous. It’s boring. It’s alienating. It’s mind-numbing.
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